Check Out Frank Soares’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Frank Soares.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Born and raised in a small town on the central coast of California, my childhood hobbies included basketball, agriculture, and fixing up my go-kart with my dad to race around our five acres in clouds of dirt. In general, many activities outside of performing arts. However, when attending family weddings, social gatherings, anything with music…I was always dancing and enjoying the reaction out of others when I began moving and grooving my hips. It wasn’t until middle school that I ended up in 7th-period drama class as an elective, where my teacher Robyn Metchik changed my world. My first performance ever was as the Caterpillar in Alice in Wonderland, where I had to sing and dance alone on stage. From there, I was hooked on that adrenaline. Theater helped me realize not only did I need more dance training, but I was most interested in the dance aspect.

I trained, performed, competed, and created all throughout high school, and the woman that took my dancing to the next level was the incomparable choreographer, teacher, and mentor: Suzy Miller. When getting ready to move into the industry after high school and a short stint at The Pacific Conservatory for the Performing Arts, Suzy told me “You might be sleeping in your car one night as tough as this industry is, but if you love it, you can make it your life…”

Grateful I never spent any nights sleeping in my car, but even more grateful for the people that helped pave the way in my life. Having worked professionally as a dancer and now choreographer/teacher for almost 15 years, I can mention three things that got this small-town farm boy to where he is today. Hard work and the drive to succeed, finding those true mentors, colleagues, and friends that want to see you succeed and that you enjoy seeing succeed as well, and lastly, staying true to yourself while fighting the extremely hard fight of not comparing yourself to others.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No road in life is completely smooth for anyone. The bumps along the way are what make the passions, goals, and experiences even richer. The amount of times my bank account looked low in my early twenties, and it was a question of whether I should go to work or to this important audition that could change my life. The amount of times I lost sleep over a mistake I made in class or an impression I made on someone that I looked up to. The amount of times I felt injured while on a long contract or vigorous rehearsal schedule and stressed the fact that my body is solely what was paying the bills.

Would I change any of those moments? Absolutely not. I feel all industries have their struggles and it’s completely about how you react to the hurdles, press on, and do BETTER.

Funny enough, I often look at my career and lifestyle now and stress about the fact that I got to exactly where I wanted to be, and now it’s time to find new challenges for the years ahead. If you’re growing and leveling up, the road isn’t going to be smooth. Trust the process.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
At this current point in life, I still like to tell people that I am a professional dancer/entertainer that is now transitioning into the creative. For well over a decade, I have gotten to pride myself on a resume completely all over the spectrum when it comes to performing arts. Many of my early influences were people that ‘wore many hats’ so to speak. I always admired chameleons in the entertainment industry, people that seem like they can do it all. Though I know I don’t specialize in everything, I am most proud of the many rooms I found myself in simply thanks to saying “Yes and…”

Disney served as my catalyst in the industry as well as my anchor. Being a major goal of mine as a teenager, I can’t believe I can now say I’ve performed at the California theme parks, a national tour with “Disney Live!”, Disney Channel commercial work, the Tokyo Disneyland Resort in Japan, performing for Disney premieres at Hollywood’s El Capitan theater, and most recently dancing with “Princess and the Frog’s” Anika Noni Rose for the 2022 D23 Convention.

Outside of Disney, I found myself in a bald cap and clown makeup for FX’s “American Horror Story”, dancing in historic DTLA theaters for a Heineken Commercial, experiencing my first prom in life on the set of Netflix’s “The Prom” and with same-sex date even. From hanging on a pair of silks while cruising the Mediterranean to Bollywood extravaganzas and cheerleading in the USC stadium behind Olivia Rodrigo. Life’s been all over the place, and I think the opportunities have been abundant thanks to not putting myself in any type of box.

While I assist other choreographers now and teach my own weekly slot at Millennium Dance Complex here in Los Angeles, I am loving helping others find and experience the journey that I got to as a professional dancer. It’s also become my goal to continue creating safe spaces for dancers that I sometimes didn’t feel I had in the past.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Putting pressure on yourself can sometimes get the results you need, but as a human, it is vital to give ourselves breaks as well. Like many industries, the dance industry is rooted in hustle culture and ‘team no sleep’. Though that mentality has delivered in my past and I pride myself on that work I always took moments to inhale and exhale while watching a sunset. Staying present while traveling somewhere new or while onstage in front of a roaring crowd will give you memories that will last forever. Slow down and enjoy those moments. Take the time to make eye contact and really connect with the artists we get to meet on a daily basis. But most importantly, sprinkle in those days that you take care of yourself. Sometimes more work isn’t the answer, but more work in self-love and rest is. Find the balance ya’ll, life is tough.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @frankjsoares
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@franksoaresdance?si=yv6XZIq8VWSsCol6

Image Credits
Lindsay Rosenburg Photography Shane Karns Steven Diaz & Ashton Frederick